Planned Parenthood's condoms did not fare well in the Consumer Reports ratings 


Two of the three condoms distributed, usually for free, by Planned Parenthood and included in Consumer Reports latest ratings were deemed poor in strength and one also poor in reliability. In response, Planned Parenthood announced that their customers who "would feel more comfortable exchanging [one of the low-rated condoms] for another Planned Parenthood style condom are welcome to do so at their local Planned Parenthood center." 

Planned Parenthood's response to the Consumer Reports ratings does not seem entirely honest. For example, they said "We were very pleased that Consumer Reports gave one of our styles of Planned Parenthood Condoms excellent ratings." That is not true. None of the Planned Parenthood condoms got two "excellent" ratings. The one Planned Parenthood condom that was not rated poor received only a single "excellent" rating—for reliability. It's strength rating was "very good."

Planned Parenthood announced that for the two condoms that Consumer Reports rated "poor" on the strength test Planned Parenthood "commissioned rigorous, comprehensive retesting at a world-renowned, independent testing facility. The results on all scientific measures were excellent, as were the results of the air inflation test performed by Consumer Reports itself."

Even it is true that Planned Parenthood's test results were as good as they say, the fact remains that Consumers Union, which has no stake in whether Planned Parenthood's condoms are good or not, tested 120 samples of the "Assorted Colors" condoms and rated them poor for strength. Consumers Union tested 500 samples (because the initial results were so bad) of the "Honeydew" condoms and rated them poor for both strength and reliability. Why would anyone want to use condoms that got such poor ratings when it's easy to choose a condom with excellent ratings?
 

Posted: Friday - January 07, 2005 at 11:01 PM          

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